The Manchester Monarchs winning streak ended on Wednesday morning with a 5-3 loss to the visiting Reading Royals.
Reading’s Tyler Brown opened scoring in the first period and Matt Wilkins added a second goal for the Royals 3:33 into the second period.
Colton Saucerman followed with his second goal of the year to bring the game within one a few seconds later, but Reading would bring the lead back up to two thanks to a redirected shot from Michael Huntebrinker.
Immediately after Huntebrinker’s goal, a melee ensued as Reading’s Loic Leduc and Manchester’s Matt Schmalz earned major penalties for a fight and Manchester’s Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman earned a minor and a misconduct for his thumping of Wilkins.
Schmalz and Lavallee-Smotherman returned and combined for a goal late in the third period, with Justin Agosta also helping Schmalz on what was his first goal of the season.
That strike followed goals earlier in the period by Reading’s Nolan Zajac and Manchester’s Sam Kurker, but Reading would add one last score: an empty netter by 2016 ECHL Rookie of the Year Matt Willows.
Wednesday marked the first loss in regulation for Manchester since a 4-1 defeat to Greenville on Oct. 28, with the squad picking up 11-of-12 points in their last six contests.
The Monarchs (8-4-1-1) are back on the ice Friday, Nov. 17 (7 p.m.), when they host the Worcester Railers (5-6-1-0) at SNHU Arena in a North Division battle.
